MOSCOW, November 11. /TASS/. The Russian authorities see no signs the Ukrainian authorities may be ready for negotiations; therefore the special military operation is continuing, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media on Friday.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky announced Kiev's readiness for negotiations, but on its terms, including a change of leadership in Russia. US President Joe Biden declared the wish to see a diplomatic end of Russia’s special operation. He did not elaborate.
"The conflict in Ukraine can be ended after achieving its (special military operation’s - TASS) goals or by means of achieving the same goals through peaceful negotiations, which is also possible," the Kremlin spokesman said, adding that Kiev’s stance looked irreconcilable.
"Kiev does not want negotiations. The special military operation continues," Peskov added.
Asked whether the Kremlin regretted the admission of the Kherson Region to Russia, Peskov said: "No, it does not."
The status of the region after the pullback of Russian troops from the right bank of the Dnieper cannot be revised.
"This is a constituent entity of Russia. The status of this territory is fixed and defined by law. There cannot be any changes," Peskov stressed.
On November 9, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu agreed with a proposal made by the commander of the Russian army group in the special military operation zone, Sergey Surovikin, for the pullback of Russian troops in the Kherson Region from the right bank of the Dnieper to the left bank. Surovikin stressed that the Russian military had successfully repulsed all Ukrainian attacks. The decision to move back the forces was also due to the risk of their isolation, should territories downstream from the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant be flooded. Surovikin said that all civilians who wished to leave - more than 115,000 people - had already been evacuated from the right bank.